Painful and Grateful Lessons for Holiness Churches in America

When was the last time you heard a holiness message in your church? Have you recently heard of any holiness book that is being purchased by the religious community in America? Why is this ancient doctrine of the Bible silently slipping away from our consciousness? This book will reveal why and when the holiness message became obsolete in holiness denominations and independent churches. It will examine the spiritual, social, and historical downward spiral of this Biblical doctrine. While the pandemic of COVID 19 has changed so much about life, including the religious aspect, this book will advance reasons for hope for a renewal of holy living in America. A spiritual autopsy will be performed on the thirty-one holiness denominations/affiliations in America. This will lead to difficult but needed changes that can renovate the holiness lifestyle in America. As a pastor for thirty-five years in a holiness denomination and an adjunct professor of religion for ten years in a holiness university, I bring first-hand knowledge to this subject. This book has not been crafted in the ivory tower but in the trenches of pastoral care and work among all kinds of men and women. By buying this book you will be prepared to intelligently discuss what happened to the holiness message in America and help transform the holiness landscape for the future. This book is a call to laity and clergy alike to renovate the holiness message so that we and younger generations will be attracted to study it and live it.

"I recommend to pastors and laypersons alike Dr. Herb Ireland's Painful and Grateful Lessons for Holiness Churches in America. 2020 was the most difficult and disruptive year for the local church. We all experienced unprecedented challenges in our ministries.  Hand-wringing worry could result, or a forlorn longing to simply return to a "normal" that can never exist again. Both are dead-end roads. Dr. Ireland summarizes the various threats to the church and its future that 2020 brought, but sees opportunities for a new future as well.  He believes the holiness churches should uniquely be positioning themselves for new and holy influence upon our declining culture. Herb's decades in ministry aid him in coming to seasoned advice for us to consider, and the ability to see God is still up to something is encouraging. I have both pastored Herb and partnered with him in one ministry setting. This book comes from his heart and experience. There are many challenges ahead but Herb's input in facing them is worthy of your time and consideration."

- Dr. Kevin M. Ulmet, Senior Pastor, Nashville First Church of the Nazarene